


I'd Rather Marry Her Instead

by AlienBumblebee



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anduin is a good friend, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, F/F, F/M, I don't really know when it happens, I ship Tess and Lorna so much and there isn't enough fanfiction, It's one of my first stories ever posted, Mostly Fluff, Only a little angst don't worry, Pre-World of Warcraft: Legion, Tess pov, Useless Lesbians, Wow lore confuses me a lot sorry, this is gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-01-21 13:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21300107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlienBumblebee/pseuds/AlienBumblebee
Summary: Genn Greymane travels to Stormwind with his daughter hoping to get her engaged to Prince Anduin. But Tess isn't going to let this happen and her bodyguard and best friend Lorna Crowley accepts to help her. Everything is fine until Tess and Lorna realize they might like each other. As more than friends. Anduin is just trying to be a good friend and help them sort this mess out but he fails miserably.Tess/Lorna happy ending
Relationships: Genn Greymane/Mia Greymane, Lorna Crowley/Tess Greymane
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Welcome to my first published story on my account! I am very bad at writing and that's why the chapters are probably going to be very short and I might not update very often, sorry. But i'm trying my best! And I promise, that I will finish every story I start. It might take a while but I'll finish this ^^  
(I do not own the characters or like well everything that is from the game, only the story itself)

I am sitting at my desk in my assigned room in Stormwind keep. I am watching the sunset through the window as I have nothing better to do, but quite frankly, I have a rarely seen a more beautiful view since we left Gilneas after the wall fell.

My father decided to travel to Stormwind for business but I know there is another reason behind this trip. I overheard my parents talking about suggesting to King Varian that I marry his son Anduin. They argued a lot that night, as my mother wanted me to marry someone that I actually wanted to marry and not someone my father wanted to see as his son-in-law. When my father started yelling at my mother, telling her she was a fool for not agreeing, that I would have a good life and be safe, I interrupted him, stepping into the room and making it clear that I shared the same opinion as my mother. I mean, Anduin is a nice guy, you know, I like him. But I don't _like_ him. And I know for a fact that he feels the same way. We are friends. We have talked on a few occasions and both of us knew that one day one of the Kings would suggest us being wed, and both of us agreed that it was not what we wanted. But of course my father didn’t listen and that is why I am sitting in this room right now.

But not everything is terrible about this trip. My assigned bodyguard is a friend of mine. Her name is Lorna Crowley and as much as she seems to be rude and really unkind on the outside, she has a big heart. She rarely shows this side of her though, and I think I might be the only one she actually opens up to. I must admit, this does make me feel special. She trusts me and I trust her. I can talk to her about the problems being a royal brings and she talks to me about how some men in our army treat her. Even though she is a commander, she is often disrespected (not directly of course) but she can sense that she is unwelcome at some times. She does not really understand my struggles and I cannot fully relate to hers, but we listen and try to give advice to each other and that makes me really enjoy her company.

And I have to admit that she is very pretty. I sometimes lose myself in those beautiful chocolate-coloured eyes. Her long black hair suits her perfectly and… well... We’re really good friends. She makes this trip bearable. I don’t know what I would do without her.

A knock at the door brings me back to reality. Ah yes, Stormwind keep. I really do not look forward to the next few days.

"Come in"

"Tess! There you are! Have I already told you that Anduin is going to show you around Stormwind tomorrow?" My father sais as he enters my room.

"Yes, Father. Probably five times already."

I am annoyed that he cannot seem to remember telling me before. Four times. I am almost sick of listening to him.

"Be sure to make a good impression Tess. I want the King and his son to think to think the best of you. Also, talk to Crowley, I want her to behave properly. I cannot let her ruin this. I will make sure you marry Prince Anduin" He looks determined and I would admire it, if he wasn't trying to get me to get engaged to a man I do not love.

"Yes Father."

"You should go to sleep now. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Good night, Tess."

"Good night, Father."

I let out a sigh of relief when the door closes again and get ready for bed. It doesn't take long until I until I fall asleep and I dream of Lorna. Again. I really can't seem to get her out of my head. She is truly my best friend.


	2. The Beginning: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tess and Lorna get ready for their next day in Stormwind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I really didn't expect to start (and also finish) chapter 2 so soon! I just had some time and was bored and it just happened! Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter :)

I wake up as I hear someone knock on the door. 

"Just a moment" I say, getting dressed quickly.

I open the door to find Lorna waiting outside. I let her come in and she sits on the bed.

"Good Morning Princess, did you sleep well?" She asks.

"You know I hate it when you call me that… But I slept well, thanks."

"But you  _ are _ a princess! Literally! Your father would kill me if he knew that I call you Tess."

"You have a point" we both laugh a little and while I pack a little bag of things I might need today, we talk about my father's plans for my wedding. 

After a while Lorna reluctantly asks 

"What are you going to do if you really have to marry Anduin?" 

I can hear the concern in her voice and it warms my heart. She is worried about me. I smile reassuringly.

"I'll figure something out. There has to be something I can do to stop this…"

"Whatever you need, you know I'm here for you." She means it. She's always there when I need her. I really don't deserve a friend like her.

"Forever?" 

"As long as I live, I will protect you my princess"

She purposely exaggerates and we both laugh but I can't help but blush at what she says. Does she really mean it? 

"I sure feel safer now" I joke, grinning at her. I mean it, but she doesn't need to know that.

"We should go now, Tess"

"Indeed, let's go…"

We leave my room and I close the door. We walk towards the entrance of the keep, where Anduin said he will be waiting for us. 

"It won't be as boring as you think, Princess"

"I would really like to believe you Lorna… Just remember not to cause too much trouble, you know how my father gets"

"That old man better leave me alone, I don't want to have to deal with another Greymane!" she whispers.

I look at her, surprised that she dares to say something like that about her King -and her Princess- and burst into laughter. 

"Lorna are you crazy?" I ask cry, "And I'm not that much of a mess!"

"You are, Princess, you are" She smirks.

The guards give us weird looks as we walk past them but I don't care. I'm having fun with my friend, and that's one of the things royals are allowed to, and no one will take that from me.  


We arrive at the entrance and I can see Anduin right next to it. He smiles when he notices us.

"Princess Tess! I am glad you made it! I hope it wasn't too difficult to find!" He jokes.

"I admit we got lost in the way but a guard helped us out" I smile, "And please, just Tess"

"Very well. And of course Commander Crowley, I'm glad you joined us" He seems nervous, probably because Lorna makes everyone nervous. I don't know a lot of people who are not afraid of her.

"Not that I didn't have much of a choice" 

Anduin looks even more nervous than before.

"Forgive me! I didn't-"

"I'm kidding! I'm happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me as well, and you can call me Lorna, Prince Anduin."

Anduin relaxes and smiles at my friend.

"Then it is only fair that both of you call me Anduin, but Lorna, maybe not in front of other 'important people', if you see what I mean."

"Of course." Lorna responds.

"Well, shall we?" Anduin gestures to the stairs that bring us directly into the City.

I must admit, I'm quite excited. Stormwind is a beautiful city, and I am spending today with two of my friends. Maybe this day won't be that boring after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized how short my chapters really are! I'm sorry I'll try to write a longer one for the next update ^^  
Thanks for reading :)


	3. Stormwind Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anduin, Tess and Lorna visit Stormwind, but not everything goes as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again!  
I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I really didn't know how to continue the story. I have the end planned but I really didn't know what should happen in chapter 3.  
As promised, this chapter is almost twice as long as the previous ones.  
Enjoy :)  
Oh and btw, I have no one to proofread what I write so feel free to point out any mistakes you find ^^

The Old town is beautiful. As we walk through the streets, Anduin tells us about this place's history. We occasionally stop to admire some of the buildings. We arrive at a separated area. There are two main buildings and around them are training dummies and stables.  
"This is the Si:7 headquarters" Anduin says as he points to one of the houses.

  
"Most of our operations in Azeroth are organized here. Rescue parties, extraction teams, strike teams… Every single one of those missions originates from here. To your right are the Stormwind stables. Our best horses are trained here and sold to our champions for only a small price. The other building over there is mostly used for equipment sales. The merchants there trade armor and weapons for special objects and things you find in Azeroth. And those training dummies are used by our champions and best warriors to train while they are not needed in battle."

  
"This is awesome! I didn't know the military training program was this developed in Stormwind. I'll have to test these dummies sometime!" Lorna looks impressed.

  
"What do you think of it Tess?" Anduin asks.

  
"I agree with Lorna, it is truly impressive."

  
"I am glad you like it! But let's continue to the Dwarven district. We'll stop by an inn on the way. We need to stay hydrated!" He smiles at us and Lorna and I smile back.  
We arrive at the Golden Keg where Anduin and I order a glass of 'Refreshing spring water' and Lorna orders a bottle of 'Dalaran Noir'.  
"Look, I know I'm on duty and there's this whole 'no drinking on duty' rule but I really need this right now. I won't be more than a little bit tipsy anyway." Lorna justifies herself.

  
"Don't worry Lorna, we won't tell anyone." Anduin responds with a smile.

  
"Thanks. I have to admit you're not as boring as I thought you were going to be. I mean royals and stuff. Tess is different, she's funny and all, but you're the second royal I meet who isn't as arrogant as they are thought to be."

  
Anduin looks unsure as to whether or not this was supposed to be a compliment.  
I can't help but laugh and Anduin gives me a questioning look.

  
"Don't worry Anduin, it was meant as a compliment. That's probably the nicest thing you'll ever hear from her."

We all laugh a little as our drinks arrive.

  
“No but really, I mean it, you’re a pretty cool guy.”

  
“Thank you, Lorna, I am glad I am not that annoying.”

We all laugh while we drink. After we finish, we pay for our drinks and leave.

"Now we'll go to Dwarven district. I must warn you, it is loud. Also, try not to breathe in the smoke. Too much of it is bad for your lungs. But we should be fine."

  
I must admit this was not reassuring, but Lorna seems excited and she is adorable when she looks forward to something.  
As Anduin leads us through the district, we discover probably the most active Quarter of Stormwind. There are people everywhere! I can see the two guards assigned to protect us (they walk a few meters behind us) struggle to keep up in the crowd.

  
It really is loud so I'm glad we finally reach the canals and the bridge to Cathedral Square. It is breathtaking. It is truly a sight to behold. Lorna stands next to me, unimpressed by Stormwind Cathedral. I'm not surprised. She's never been one to believe in the Light. Anduin seems to be the exact opposite. And I? I'm not sure.  
Anduin leads us away towards the Harbor. As we admire the view, I notice Lorna's nervous.

  
"Are you alright, Lorna?" I decide to ask.

  
"The guards, shouldn't they be here by now?" She responds.

  
"What do you mean?" Anduin says as we both realise Lorna is right.

  
"It means they either fell asleep or someone made them, if you see what I mean." She looks around trying to spot anything suspicious. "We should get back to the keep immediately."

  
"You're right, let's go."

  
As we turn around to make our way back to Cathedral square three men step out of the shadows behind us.  
We turn around and one of them starts talking:

  
"Your Majesties! And Commander Crowley. What a pleasure to meet you all. What a shame that we have to kill you. Don't resist and we'll make it quick."

  
"If you think I'm going to let you kill Anduin and Tess without fighting back then you're a fool!" Lorna glares at the men in front of us.

  
Anduin takes his sword and Lorna and I our daggers.

  
There are three of us and three of them, so it is a fair fight.  
Each one of us takes one of them.

  
As a parry and block every strike of my opponent, I notice Anduin doing the same. Lorna has the upper hand though and soon enough, she strikes the assassin down. _She did it! Only two more to go!_ I realise too late that I got distracted and my opponent charges at me. I can only stare at him, unable to do anything.

  
"Tess!" I hear Lorna scream.

  
As the assassin is about to land a blow, Lorna dives in front of me. I watch in horror as the man stabs her. But Lorna doesn't give up. She takes her daggers and kills him. Anduin quickly follows suit and is victorious of his fight.

  
"Lorna! Are you alright?" I ask, panicked.  
"I'm fi-" She collapses mid-sentence and fortunately I manage to catch her.

  
"Lorna!" Anduin calls and runs over to us.

  
_The wound is not that deep. She's losing blood but she's had worse so why-_

  
"Poison" She says. "They used poison. I don't know which one though."

  
"We need to take you to a healer! Now! Anduin help me!"

  
Anduin picks Lorna up and we run as fast as we can back to Stormwind keep. Sure, there probably is a healer closer to us but we can't risk another attack.  
As we run through the main entrance straight to the throne room the guards give us weird looks. We arrive in front of King Wrynn and before he can even open his mouth I shout:

  
"Someone get a healer immediately!"

  
Varian stands up and looks at us.

  
"What in the name of the Light happened? Where are the guards assigned to protect you?"

  
"We were attacked, father! We were able to kill them but-" Anduin explains.

  
"Lorna was stabbed because she saved me!" I finish.

  
A Kaldorei Priestess arrives and a guard carries Lorna to her room while the King, Anduin, the Elf and I follow behind.

  
_I hope she'll be okay..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next update will probably take some time sorry, but I'll do my best! :)


	4. Waiting for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I finally finished a new chapter! I'm so sorry for the long wait! The chapter is not that long and not great but at least it's something and I'm quite satisfied with it.  
Since I've got a lot of time, I'll try to maybe write a little more :)  
Enjoy!  
(As always, feel free to point out any mistakes)

I hate it. I hate all of it. I hate it that I have to wait. That I still don’t know how Lorna is. I hate it that my father does not seem to care one bit. My best friend is dying. Because she saved me. But still, my father cannot see past that she is a Crowley. Lorna has been loyal to my family for years. She has been helping us reclaim Gilneas. She is commanding our army and leading it with a success none of her predecessors could ever match! But still! My father will not treat her as she deserves. She’s part of our family, even Mother adores her!

At least Anduin is here to comfort me while the kings have a meeting in the war room to find out who the assassins were. He makes sure I’m fine and brings me food. I’m still waiting in front of Lorna’s room. I can’t leave. I won’t leave. I want to be there for her.

I’ve been waiting for hours now and it gives me time to think about pretty much everything. Why I’m here in the first place… If Father hadn’t had that stupid idea and brought me to Stormwind, none of this would have happened! we wouldn’t have been attacked and Lorna would not be in that room, fighting for her life!

I don’t want to marry Anduin! I never did but of course my father is stubborn and won’t listen to me! Anduin is very sweet, don’t get me wrong, and he would be a great husband, but he’s just not the right one for me. I don’t want to marry him but my father won’t rest until I do.. But.. what if- what if I married someone else before the engagement is announced? It probably wouldn’t work though… Finding someone I like in a few days is impossible…

“Tess?” I am pulled out of my thoughts as Anduin approaches the bench I am sitting on.

“Are you alright? Any updates on Lorna’s condition?”

I suddenly remember the reason I am sitting here and can only shake my head as tears threaten to stream down my face. Anduin notices and embraces me.

“It’s alright, let it all out.”

Anduin’s words are all I need to stop holding back. The next hour is a blur but I remember Anduin holding me tight as I just sobbed endlessly.

I wake up after Anduin gently shakes me. I must've fallen asleep. In front of us stands a tall Kaldorei woman smiling at us. I recognize her as the priest assigned to treat Lorna. I jump to my feet and ask:

"How is she? Is she alive? Please tell me she's fine! Can I see her?"

The priest just stares at me unable to say anything. Anduin calms me down and says:

"How is she?"

"She's stable. We were able to identify the toxin in her blood and treat her with the antidote. She's still weak due to the loss of blood and the effects of the toxin but she's not in danger anymore. She will need some time to heal properly but I predict she'll make a full recovery."

I can't help but hug the woman and start crying again.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for saving her!"

Anduin laughs at the Kaldorei's awkward smile.

"Thank you-?"

"Leikah" she responds with a smile.

"Thank you, Leikah! Can I see her?" I ask.

"Of course, follow me" Leikah says and leads us to Lorna. King Wrynn and my father join us.

When I see her my eyes water again. She almost died because I allowed myself to get distracted. Lorna smiles at me and I feel like she knows what I'm thinking.

"It's not your fault Tess. I messed up."

"I'm not letting you get all the glory for that" I smile back and sit down next to her on her bed.

"I'm glad you are well" Anduin says.

"Thanks And', I uh mean Prince Anduin."

"How are you feeling Commander Crowley?" Leikah asks.

"I'm fine I think, thanks to you doc. And please, call me Lorna"

"Now that we've all seen that you're fine I can announce that we are taking the necessary measures to protect you two," my father points at Anduin and me "and we have also decided to announce your engagement in two days at the ball that will take place."

"Father! Lorna almost died and that is all you think about!" I say angrily. I am furious. I cannot believe it! This is not the time for this! And I have to marry Anduin? No... This cannot be...

After a few more questions, everyone leaves me alone with my best friend.

"I was so worried about you, please don't ever do that again…"

"Don't worry about me Tess, I'm not going anywhere. Who's going to protect you if I'm not here?" She smiles.

I look at her and can't help but feel happy. She's alive and she's not planning on leaving me anytime soon.

I don't remember what happens next but my lips are on hers and we are kissing. We pull apart when we both realise what we are doing.

"I- Tess I'm- I'm so sorry I don't know what happened- I shouldn't have-"Lorna says, panicked.

"I liked it!" is all I can reply.

"R-really?"

"Yes…"

"I'm in love with you, Tess. I've been for a very long time." She admits, embarrassed.

It makes sense now. Why I always missed her so much when she was away. Why I enjoyed her presence so much. Why I was unable to imagine my life with a husband. I want to spend my life with her. I want her to be my wife… But I can't. I will never be with her. My father would kill her.

"And I think I love you too, Lorna. But I have to marry Anduin, the decision is final..."

"What if there was a way? For us to be together?" Lorna looks at me, eyes full of hope.

"What do you mean?"

"The engagement will be officially announced in two days, right?"

"That is correct, but how do you want to prevent it?" Lorna carefully stands up.

"Lorna! Stop! You are going to hurt yourself!"

But she doesn't listen. She gets down on one knee and takes my hand.

"Tess Greymane, Princess of Gilneas," She takes a deep breath.

_Will you marry me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Stay safe everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :) I will try to update as quickly as I can!


End file.
